Easy From Now On
by smokeandflames
Summary: When Dr. Pendanski's daughter Faith comes to stay at Camp Green Lake things get interesting. What will happen? Will there be romance? You'll have to read my story to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**So I know there are a lot of Fanfiction where a girl comes to Camp Green Lake and then becomes the girlfriend of one of the D Tent boys but this one is different and I hope you'll give it a chance. I have to warn you however it is a story that deals with the topic of self-harm and while I don't think that it will be triggering to anyone I don't know your triggers and you should use your best judgment. There isn't anything about self-harm in this chapter, well one brief hint at it, but there will be in other chapters. I will post a warning at the beginning of each chapter so that when reading this story you can make a decision that is right for you. I do want to say that while the character in this story is a self-harmer ****I do not in any way want to encourage self-harm.**** If you or someone you know has a problem with self-harm I encourage you to get help. If you are considering being to self-harm please, please, please, please, I'm begging you, don't start. There are many safer and healthier ways to cope with life and I promise you that any problems you have will be much easier to solve when you don't start hurting yourself. There are so many helpful resources on the Internet that you can use including Blah Therapy and Six Billion Secrets. Also I am here and please don't hesitate to send me a private message if you need to. Just to once again show that I am not trying to encourage self-harm I want to clarify my reasons for posting this story. I am writing this story and including the self-harm to cope with my own issues in a different and creative way and I am posting it here because I think that others might enjoy or relate to it. There is a fair bit of smoking in this story also. I am not encouraging tobacco use either. **

**I do not own Holes. I do not make money from this. I write for fun and to express myself.**

My pick-up truck cut through the Texas desert and I thankfully realized that I had to be getting close. I had been driving for hours and I was starting to get tired of it. I reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a carton of cigarettes and lighter. I know that smoking is a terrible habit but it's certainly not the worse one I have.

Finally I got to the camp. I parked next to the office and then went inside. A man was sitting at the desk eating sunflower seeds.

"Oh," he said, "I forgot, you must be the Pendanski kid."

"Yeah," I said with a laugh, "I guess that's me except my name is Faith Winston." He stared at me blankly, "My mom kept her maiden name," I explain.

"No offense," he said, "But I really don't care. Your dad's in D tent doing that therapy crap he likes so much. You can get a soda and then go join him."

"Thanks," I said, grabbing a diet coke and heading up.

When I step out of the heat hits me for the first time. It must be over a hundred degrees but I don't have time to think about that right now. After a quick stop at my trunk to get my purse I find D tent. I walk inside and realize that I have walked into a therapy session. The conversation seems to be wrapping up though so I interrupt to say hi to my dad.

"Oh hello Faith," he said smiling, "How are you? Boys this is my daughter she's going to stay at camp with us for a while."

"I'm fine," I say, all the boys turn around to look at me and they must like what they see.

I don't really see it but people tell me that I'm beautiful. I have long wavy light brown hair that goes down to the center of my back and blue-green eyes. At that moment I was wearing a tight white tank top and blue skinny jeans with cowboy boots. I know it was pretty hot outside and it was odd to be wearing jeans but I never wear anything else. If you ever saw me in shorts you would know why.

"Is it cool if I smoke in here?" I asked.

"I would rather you didn't," my dad says but he knows that I'm going to if I'm allowed or not.

"Well I would rather I did," I said and lit a cigarette.

One of the boys, a Hispanic kid, asks me for one.

"Sure," I said handed him the carton and lighter, "Pass it around."

Most of the boys take one except for one who looks like a kid and one who looks kind of nerdy.

"Dinner is in fifteen minutes," my dad reminds the group, "I'll see you then."

He leaves and suddenly I am left alone with seven teenage boys; most of whom, I am beginning to realize, haven't seen a girl in months.

"So," I said, "What's everyone's name and what are you in for?"

"I'm X-Ray," one guy said, "It was a misunderstanding."

"My name's Caveman and I stole a pair of sneakers," the nerdy kid says and I laugh.

"Me too," says the kid and he smiles at me, "I'm Zero."

"I'm Magnet," the guy who asks me for a cigarette says, "I stole a puppy."

"I'm Armpit," says one guy, "There was a bit of a fight."

"I'm Zigzag," says a tall guy with crazy hair, "There was a fire and they figured out who set it."

There is one more boy and I can't help but think that it's him I'm most interested in. He is good looking but there is something else to him. He has one of those faces that show that there is more to him than meets the eye.

"I'm Squid," he said, "I stole some stuff. Why are you here?"

"I want to be here," I said.

"You volunteered to go to a boy's juvenile correctional facility?" X-Ray asks.

"Yeah," I said, "Pretty much."

"Wow," he said, "What did your boyfriend think about that?"

I laugh, "I don't have one."

By now my cigarette is almost gone, the grey ash just started to get down to the filter. I drop it out of the tent and then step on it. I briefly debate about lighting another one but I am interrupted by the dinner bell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi readers! So just to keep my promise to put a trigger warning at the beginning of each chapter there is more discussion of scars and of a bad habit (self harm) in this chapter. There are also more cigarettes. _Once again I want to say I am not encouraging self harm or cigarette use. Please don't hurt yourself and please don't smoke. If you need help you can also PM me._**

**Also if you read this and like it (or don't like it) please leave a review and tell me.**

**I don't own Holes.**

We all eat dinner, if you can call the stuff they give us to eat dinner, in a big room. The whole meal I felt the eyes of the entire room on me. I understand why I'm getting stares, being the only girl these guys have seen since they got to camp, but I can't stand to be the center of attention like this because it reminds me of the negative attention that I get when my scars are visible. I fidget nervously in my seat and hope that none of the D tent boys, who I decided to sit with, notice. Unfortunately Squid is watching me.

"Are you alright?" he asked, "You seem, well, upset."

"I'm fine," I lie quickly, "Just need a cigarette."

"You sure?" He asks and it is clear that he is not falling for my lie.

"Yes," I say, "I'm fine."

Lying is one of the many things that you get good at when you're like me. If I had a nickel for every time I said I'm fine when I wasn't fine I would be very, very rich. A few years back when the lies and the questions were still new I wanted nothing more than for someone to see through my lies. It was strange because if that's what I wanted than I shouldn't have lied in the first place. I guess maybe I just wanted someone to get it. But now I lie and hope no one sees through them. Because now I know that nobody gets it.

Squid keeps studying me the way people do on the increasingly rare occasions that I wear clothes that show my scars. It makes me feel sick and I silently will him to stop. He doesn't and I decide to say something.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" I ask.

"Like what?" He says.

"You know very well what," I snap.

He looks like he wants to push the "Are you okay?" conversation even more but luckily my dad interrupts us.

"Hello Camp Green Lake!" He says. All the campers turn to look at him and he continues, "As you may have noticed there is someone here tonight that usually isn't here. That person is my daughter Faith. Now Faith's going to be living here at the camp for a while and I trust that you will all be respectful to her. She will be working in the office and please remember that she is an employee here and that if she asks you to do something you should do it just as you would if Mr. Sir, the Warden or I had asked. Also please note that Faith's trunk, which is parked in front of the office, is off limits to campers. Thank you."

After the announcement the stares seem even worse than they were before. Luckily I am finished with my dinner and I quickly excuse myself from the table. I step outside to the porch and pull out the pack of cigarettes once again. I take a cigarette out and put it between my lips. I fumble with my lighter for a bit but soon the end is lit. The smoke relaxes me and in a few moments I am calm. When I turn around I see that Squid is standing behind me.

"Can I bum one?" He asks.

"Sure," I say offering him the pack.

He takes one and places it between his lips. I flick my lighter and the flame dances onto the end of the cigarette. "So," he says, "How long have you been smoking?"

"A while," I say, "I can't remember why I started." I can remember exactly why I started. It was because I was trying unsuccessfully to quit that other bad habit and I thought smoking might replace it. Unfortunately I just ended up with two horrible habits, addictions really, and no hope for quitting either. "What about you?"

"I was a kid," he said, "Maybe ten. I wish I hadn't but I guess now I'm hooked."

"Yeah," I said, "Me too. God do you remember your first cigarette?" He nods and I keep talking, "It wasn't as bad as they make it out to be but it still make me cough and feel sick. I just wish so badly I didn't start but now I'm hooked and I've got no real choice."

"You really get that jumpy without one?" He asks.

"Nah," I said, "I'm just a little shy."

"You don't seem like it," he said, "Driving that pick-up around."

"I'm a Texas girl," I say, "Just who I am."

"Well," he said, "I like Texas girls."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I tease him.

"It means I think you're cute," he says, "And I'd like to get to know you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Please, please review. No mentions of self-harm in this chapter. If you need anything or to talk PM me.**

**I don't own Holes!  
**

"I'd like to get to know you too," I tell him and we sit the whole night talking on the porch. When the sun goes down he goes back to the tent and I go to the office. My father and Mr. Sir are there. "Hi Faith," my dad says, "This is sort of weird but when I arranged for you to come stay here I thought you would live in the Warden's cabin. But she didn't get that part of the plan so basically you can stay in my cabin or you can stay in one of the tents."

"I'll stay in D- Tent," I tell him.

"Okay," he says.

When I get to the tent all the guys seem to be interrogating Squid. He seemed glad when I walked in and they all shut up.

"So," I said, "Meet your new tent-mate."

"You're serious?" X-Ray asked.

"As a heart attack," I reply, "Speaking of health problems who wants a smoke?"

All the boys take one except for Zero and Caveman.

"You want one Caveman?" X-Ray asks.

"Nope," Caveman said.

For a moment I thought X-Ray was going to give him a hard time about it and I decided to stick up for him.

"Good man," I said, "These things 'll kill you."

"I know," he said.

"Don't start," I remind him, "Y'all remember how sick you feel the first time?" All the boys seem to groan at the memory, "Not worth it at all."

"Yet you still do it," Zero says.

"Well," I say, "I can't quit, I know first hand how bad this crap is, so do as I say not as I do kiddo."

"You could try," he says.

"I gave up trying to quit years ago," I confess, "There's no real point when you know you're going to fail."

"You'll never get anywhere with that attitude," Caveman points out.

"Yeah?" I say, "Careful you're starting to sound like Daddy Dearest."

"We call him Mom," Magnet says.

I laugh, "That's so perfect."

Pretty soon all the guys climb into bed and I check my cell phone, confused, it was really early.

"Hey guys," I say, "It's like 8:30."

"Damn," someone said, "It's late."

"It's 8:30," I repeated confused.

"We get up at 4:30," Zigzag explained, "To dig."

"To dig?" I ask.

"Yeah to dig," Armpit says.

"Didn't you see the holes driving up?" Squid asks me.

"Yeah," I said, "But… wait you guy dug those?"

"Yep," Armpit said.

"So you work together to dug one hole?" I asked, "That's weird but I guess it's not that bad."

"No," Zigzag says, "You're not getting it. We each dig one hole."

"Are you kidding me?" I ask shocked.

"No," Armpit said, "Five feet deep, five feet across."

"Jesus," I said, "What is this place?"

"Green Lake, Texas," Magnet said, "Also known as hell on earth."

The next morning comes all to quickly and the boys all get breakfast and then go out to the lake. I stay in bed for a while but then I get up and eat breakfast. All day while I work in the office I feel bad that my friends are stuck out on the lake. When Mr. Sir falls asleep I take a bunch of sodas from the fridge and then go out to my trunk. I quickly find D Tent out on the lake.

"Hey guys," I say and I got out of the truck. "Y'all want any soda?"

They all jump out of their holes and grab sodas from me.

"Thanks Faith," X-Ray said, "But what else you got in your truck?"

"As many boxes of cigarettes as I could stock up on," I answered him, "My iPod, um, a few six packs, a bunch of stuff."


	4. Chapter 4

I'm feeling discouraged after an incredibly critical review. Would any of the people who have followed/favorited this story please take a few minutes of your day to leave a review and share your opinion on this story? Thank you so much. I can take criticism it's just that the only review response to this story is negative and I want to make sure there are people out there who actually enjoy this and want me to continue.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Thank you so much for the reviews! I was really discouraged and now I'm not. This is very, very short but I wanted to post something. There are some hints at self harm in this chapter. As always I don't encourage self harm and if any reader needs someone they can PM me. Please leave a review!**

**I don't own Holes. **

The guys seem happy for a break from the digging. We hang around and chat for a bit. Eventually most of the guys get back to work but Squid doesn't. He stands there watching me.

"Hi Faith," he says.

"Hi," I say, "You done digging?"

"Not yet," he tells me.

"Maybe you should work on that," I suggest to him.

"Do you mind keeping me company?" He asks.

"Why not," I say, walking with him to the spot where he is digging, "What else is there to do out here?"

"You could always watch the broken TV," he suggests with a laugh.

"I'll pass," I also laugh.

"So, what do you like to do?" He asks, jumping down into the hole and picking up his shovel. The hole is maybe three and a half feet deep. I guess that means he has about a foot and a half left. I try to guess how long that might take but I really have no idea.

"Not much," I tell him, "I usually go out with friends or waste time on the internet."

"I miss doing that," he says, "Spending time with my friends. I mean the guys in D tent are awesome but they're different from my friends at home."

"Yeah," I say.

For a while I sit there and he digs. The Texas sun beats down on us.

"It's really hot, " I observe.

"No shit," he says, glancing up at me, "Why do you wear those jeans if you don't like the heat?"

"No reason," I lie.

"You could change into shorts," he points out.

"I don't really wear shorts," I tell him.

"Why not?" He asks, "Strict parents?"

"Yeah," I said, "Kind of."

"Well your dad doesn't seem so bad," Squid said, "He's letting you sleep in a tent with seven guys and he let you smoke in front of him. I'm sure he'd let you wear shorts."

"What is it about you that finds the one thing I don't want to talk about it and asks about it?" I ask, amazed at myself for not coming up with an excuse.

"Which is?" he asks.

I don't want to tell him. I don't want him to think I'm a freak or one of the many other things people think about cutters. And so I don't tell him.

"It's nothing," I say, realizing how not subtle I'm being.

"Okay," he says kindly, "Well then if you ever want to talk about nothing I'm here."

"I'll keep that in mind," I tell him.


End file.
